Cover Image: The Coordinate

The Coordinate

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Member Reviews

This is an enjoyable young adult, science fiction / mystery.

Although fairly far fetched, but what do you expect from a science fiction story it has a nice feel and certainly does not strain the brain too much.

If you fancy a quick read this may be for you.

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Fantastic read, fast-paced, and clever situations make this a must have for the TBR. Great characters, historical details, and a mystery that needs to be solved(well, if you are "brilliant").

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This has been compared to the likes of the Da Vinci Code, which I personally feel is a bit of a stretch.
Described as a sci-fi, the story follows two high schoolers - Logan and Emma - who are given the task of a history project studying the Secret Chamber of the White-Eyed Star God. During their research for the project, they discover that there is a huge mystery behind this chamber, and end up on a whirlwind adventure around the world with code-breaking and the US government.

Whilst I do appreciate that this is meant to be aimed at YA, I found this to be clunky and unnecessarily far-fetched. I must admit that the level of research that the author put into this book, the addition of pictures and an actual website was fantastic. What I didn't enjoy is how 2 teenagers managed to solve something in two days that took world-leading experts over 5 years - it's just not plausible. The romance also felt a little cliché unfortunately, although that could be just my personal taste.

Overall I think younger readers would enjoy this action-packed book, but I struggled to connect with the writing and characters, unfortunately.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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I tried to get into this but the writing style and the characters just weren't clicking with me. I didn't feel drawn into the adventure and everything just fell flat. Maybe I'll retry later on.

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This waa absolutely nothing like The Davinci Code. Why... why is that what it was compared to? This was a very confusing book and I didn't get very far into it.

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I really try to avoid DNF's, but this was one of them. Skimming by chapter 3, I finally put it down and gave in halfway through chapter 6. The writing seems stilted and hard to read in places, and I just couldn't get into it or enjoy it.

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National Treasure meets Ancient Aliens. Like an episode of Stargate mashed with Independence Day. I really was watching the movie/TV serial play out in my head as I read through. Let me say, I enjoyed the inclusion of images. When provided they really helped explain crucial plot points. The relationship between the main characters was believable and appropriate for their age.

That said, this book has some notable issues. Most obvious is that the writing is at times, especially towards the beginning, quite verbose and tangential. Secondly, and given that I make comparison to Ancient Aliens, it's no surprise the driving force of the plot boils down to a devaluation and belittling of indigenous cultures and their capacities. My rating would have been higher otherwise.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Did I have issues with the book? Yes. Would I read the sequel? Yes. Would I recommend this book? Yes, but to select audiences. I think those who are always hungry for space-faring sci-fi would enjoy this book and this series. I think the romance aspect of it was a bit rushed. The male protagonist felt a bit little bit like a creeper at times.

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Interesting premise and i really did get into the book. But, so much of the basic story is just so unbelievable. I mean really. Two high school kids are just going to buy plane tickets over seas and lie their way into the Vatican? Some of the basic parts of the book seemed just so far fetched that it really pulled you from the story.

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I really struggled with this book. The writing quality was sub-par and I found myself already skimming through the pages by chapter 6 or so. Alas, I decided to write this one off as a DNF. Good premise but I just couldn't get past the writing. The dialog was okay, the main problem was the overall narration. Lots of over-telling and rigid sentence structure explaining every little thing a character was doing. Not for me.

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I don't know about this book, it was not badly written, I like these adventure types books but I found myself putting it down after 2 chapters. Maybe I will get back to it at a later time and if so I will update my review but for now I have to say it didn't work for me without being able to.pinpoint why.

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I enjoy a good action-puzzler, like a Da Vinci Code or National Treasurer, and I enjoy a good book. So do my kids. Win-win, right? Uh, no.

The idea sounded interesting, but the writing was clunky and felt more elementary to early middle grade. Despite featuring high schoolers, I think YA is much more sophisticated these days and the quality wasn't there.

As for the mystery, it was far fetched - particularly as we headed towards the wrap up. Once Logan enters the portal and gets to deja vu and we head to the White House, I really felt like it jumped the shark. I also didn't like the ending that gets a tad sinister.

1.5 stars

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This was a pleasant surprise. The book is about the adventures of 2 high school students who are given a research assignment that takes them on a wild goose chase to find answers. Unfortunately, this is the first book in a series and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so now I have to wait to find out what happens next.

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Marc Jacobs' The Coordinate surprised me in many ways and I'm more than happy to have read this book. The story revolves around Emma James and Logan West, two senior-high students, who were tasked to do a report about one mysterious chamber in the Copan Temple in Honduras. What seemed to be a simple assignment turns out to be a dangerous yet romantic adventure for our two protagonists.

This book features a story which is timely and therefore, relatable. I suppose a lot of Millennials and Generation Z kids who'll be reading this will see themselves in either Emma or Logan, especially in how they've handled and organized the tasks for their school report. It is also timely in the sense that it reflects how the world is right now or how it has been for the last century. There are talks about weapons and terrorism, advanced science and technology, aliens, and so on.

To be honest, I have never been a fan of ancient history but this book made me want to read more about the Mayans and other remarkable civilizations that lasted for a long time. I like that it has sparked another interest in me, one that I would have never picked up if not for the wonderful story-telling.

Another thing I liked is that this book has a lot of feminist concepts. The main antagonist is female. One thing won't lead to another if not for the brilliance of both Emma and Logan, as well as Quimbey and Arenot. No one was above the other. The pairs were projected as equals, each one complementing the other perfectly.

One thing I did not like is that, at some point, I felt that it was not realistic anymore for two teenagers to accomplish what they had no matter how smart they were. But then again, I had to remind myself that this is a sci-fi fantasy book.

In general, I think this book is fantastic and I'll give it an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this to everyone looking for a thrilling adventure, those who like secrets within secrets, and those who like deciphering codes and solving puzzles. You will never regret reading this book and I'm sure you'll have as much fun as I did.

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This was like a young adult davinci code and I really liked that aspect of it. It was also really well written with interesting characters.

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It looks like there are lots of helpful reviews for this already, so I'll just recommend it for sci-fi fans. Very good stuff! 4.5 stars.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

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Adventurous, educational, gripping, mysterious.

What a unique story! Loved it! The main plot pertains to two main character's that head into an archeological adventure. I loved the maps, astronomy, and how the story allows you to solve to puzzles with the characters. As an added realistic surprise, there's websites and other outside resources that make you believe. For awhile I was shocked thinking this was a true story.

Highly recommend a must read, for a fun unique adventure. Great story.

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The Coordinate is a blend of romance, action/adventure, science fiction, and young adult lit. Marc Jacobs incorporates many elements in a book I would gladly share with other readers.

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